Two years ago, I placed my final bet—a Celtics vs. 76ers game that, truthfully, I had no emotional investment in. I wasn’t a diehard fan of either team. I wasn’t watching for entertainment. I was gambling because I didn’t know how not to. I was broke—my credit cards were maxed, my personal loans were tapped, my bank account was flirting with overdraft—and yet I still found a way to place that final bet.
It didn’t bring a thrill. It brought me face-to-face with the wreckage of my life. That was my rock bottom.
The Start of Something Better
Two years later, everything has changed.
I haven’t placed a single bet in 730 days. That decision, repeated every day, has created a foundation for something new—something stable, peaceful, and fulfilling. I still remember the chaos of those final weeks: hiding losses, taking on new debt, chasing a win that never came.
Now? I’m no longer just surviving—I’m growing.
What’s Changed
Financial Recovery: I’ve stopped accumulating debt. I’ve started paying it down. For the first time in years, my savings account has a balance that’s not zero.
Emotional Healing: I no longer wake up in shame or lie awake in guilt. My mind is quieter, my emotions steadier.
Mental Clarity: I’m present again. I no longer live in the cycle of planning bets, hiding losses, and justifying reckless behavior.
Accountability & Connection: Through Discord and other recovery groups, I’ve found people who get it. People who don’t need me to explain how a $20 bet can feel like life or death. I’ve learned I’m not alone—and I never have to be again.
The Biggest Lesson?
I’m worth the work.
Recovery has taught me that I’m not broken—I was just stuck in a cycle I didn’t know how to escape. But once I stopped gambling, I started discovering the version of myself I hadn’t seen in years. Someone honest, driven, kind, and capable.
To Anyone Still in It
If you’re reading this while struggling: please know that it can get better. You don’t need to wait for the “right time.” The moment you decide to stop can be the beginning of a completely different life. Not a perfect one—but a free one.
Two years ago, I was drowning. Today, I’m standing. And every day I choose not to gamble, I rise a little higher.
Here’s to year three. I’m ready.
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